Craig Breen is a talented and fearless racing driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for several teams, most recently for Hyundai. He was the 2012 Super 2000 WRC champion and has 19 podium finishes.
- Get to know Robert Shiver Work, Age, Story, Savannah Chrisley
- Tommy Mottola Biography: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Children, Date of Birth, Parents, Girlfriend, Height
- Azi Acosta Biography: Age, Net Worth, Instagram, Spouse, Height, Wiki, Parents, Siblings, Movies
- Sandra Smith Biography: Husband, Age, Net Worth, Children, Family, Height, Parents
- Jake T. Austin Biography: High School, Net Worth, Instagram, Age, Still Alive, Wife, Girlfriend, Wiki, Movies and TV Shows
His colleagues and fans alike admire and respect him for his skills, passion and sportsmanship. He tragically passed away in a testing accident in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of excellence and inspiration.
You are watching: Craig Breen Biography: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Children, Death, Wikipedia
File
- Full name: Craig Breen
- Date of birth: February 2, 1990
- Age: 33 years old (at time of death)
- male
- Place of birth: Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Ireland
- Nationality: Irish
- Occupation: Rally driver
- Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
- Parents: Ray Breen (father), Noreen Breen (mother)
- Siblings: Keith Breen (brother), Sarah Breen (sister)
- Spouse: Jennifer Beattie (married in 2021)
- Children: Not applicable
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: 4 million USD
Early Life & Education
Craig Breen, 33 years old when he died, was born on February 2, 1990 in Slieverue, a village near Waterford in Ireland.
He is the son of Ray and Noreen Breen, who ran a car dealership and rally preparation business. He has an older brother, Keith, and a younger sister, Sarah.
He grew up in a family passionate about motorsport and started racing karts at the age of eight. He won several national titles in karting and switched to rally racing in 2006.
He also attended De La Salle College in Waterford, where he excelled academically and athletically. He graduated from college in 2008 and pursued a career in rallying.
Personal life
Craig Breen is married to Jennifer Beattie, a Scottish soccer player who played for Arsenal and Manchester City.
They met in 2017 and got engaged in 2019. They married in a private ceremony in Scotland in 2021.
They live in Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees mountains, where they enjoy skiing and hiking.
They have no children other than two dogs, Lola and Cooper. Breen is a devout Catholic and a supporter of Liverpool FC.
He is also a fan of music and movies, especially the James Bond series. He was very close to his family and friends and often visited them in Ireland.
Career
Craig Breen began his racing career in 2007, driving a Ford Fiesta ST in the Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy.
He won the series in 2008 and competed in the British Rally Championship (BRC) and Fiesta Sporting Trophy International. In 2009, he switched to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and won the Irish Group N Racing Championship.
He also made his WRC debut, driving a Ford Focus RS WRC in Rally Ireland. He continued to compete in the BRC and the Irish Tarmac Championship in 2010, winning the latter with a Ford Fiesta S2000.
He also participated in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) and Super 2000 WRC (SWRC) qualifying rounds.
See more : Caroline Campbell Biography: Parents, Age, Husband, Children, Net Worth, Instagram, Height, Wiki
In 2011, Breen joined the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team as a junior driver, driving the Ford Fiesta RS WRC in six WRC events. He also competed in the SWRC with a Ford Fiesta S2000, finishing second in the standings.
He also won the WRC Academy, a series for young drivers, with six wins in six events. He was awarded the FIA Institute of Excellence Young Drivers Scholarship and Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Award for his achievements.
In 2012, Breen continued to drive for Ford at SWRC, winning the championship with 4 victories. He also competed at the IRC with a Peugeot 207 S2000, scoring two podiums.
However, his season was marred by a tragic accident during the Targa Florio Rally in Sicily, where his co-driver and close friend Gareth Roberts was killed when their car hit a guardrail.
The loss deeply affected Breen, but he continued to rally in Roberts’ honor. He dedicated his SWRC title to him and wore a helmet in every rally.
In 2013, Breen moved to the European Rally Championship (ERC), driving for the Peugeot Rally Academy. He won the Acropolis Rally and finished third in the standings.
He also made one appearance in the WRC, driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in the Rally of Finland.
He repeated his third place at the ERC in 2014, winning the Circuit of Ireland Rally and Rallye International du Valais. He also competed in WRC-2, the support category for the WRC, with a Ford Fiesta R5, scoring two podiums.
In 2015, Breen moved to the Citroën Racing team, driving a Citroën DS3 R5 in the ERC and WRC-2 series.
He won the Liepāja Race and the Circuit of Ireland Race at the ERC, finishing second in the standings.
He also won the Rallye du Valais and Rallye du Var in WRC-2, finishing 4th in the standings. He also made his debut in the World Rallycross Championship (WRX), driving a Peugeot 208 WRX at Italy’s World RX.
In 2016, Breen was promoted to Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT, driving the Citroën DS3 WRC in selected WRC events. He scored his first WRC podium in the Rally of Finland, finishing third.
He also competed in WRC-2 with a Citroën DS3 R5, winning Rally Sweden and Rally Poland. He also drove a Peugeot 208 T16 R5 in the ERC, winning the Circuit of Ireland Rally and Rally Isle of Man.
In 2017, Breen continued to drive a Citroën in the WRC, driving a Citroën C3 WRC. He scored four times in fifth place and finished the season tenth in the standings.
He also competed in the Irish Tarmac Championship with a Ford Fiesta R5, winning the Galway International Rally and the Easter Stages Rally.
In 2018, Breen remained with Citroën in the WRC, driving a Citroën C3 WRC. He scored his second WRC podium in Rally Sweden, finishing second. He also finished fourth in Rally Mexico and Rally Finland. He ended the season in eighth place in the rankings.
In 2019, Breen left Citroën and joined Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in selected WRC events.
He scored two seventh-place finishes and one sixth-place finish. He also competed in the Irish Rally Championship with a Ford Fiesta R5, winning the West Cork Rally and the Ulster Rally.
In 2020, Breen continued to drive for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in four events. He claimed his third WRC podium in the Estonia Rally, finishing second. He also finished seventh in the Türkiye Rally, fourth in the Monza Rally and fifth in the Ypres Belgian Rally. He ended the season in seventh place in the rankings.
In 2021, Breen drove for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in six events. He recorded two fourth-place finishes and one fifth-place finish.
He also competed in the European Rally Championship with a Hyundai i20 R5, winning the Rally di Roma Capitale and the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. He finished the season third in the standings.
In 2022, Breen was confirmed as a full-time driver for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
He scored one podium, one fourth-place finish and one sixth-place finish in the first three events of the season. He was fourth in the rankings before the fatal accident.
Death
Craig Breen died on April 13, 2023, at the age of 33, in a testing accident near Zagreb, Croatia. He was preparing for the 2023 Croatia Rally, round 4 of the WRC season, when his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 crashed into a tree at high speed. He suffered serious head and chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His co-driver, Paul Nagle, survived the crash with minor injuries. The cause of the accident is being investigated by the FIA and local authorities.
Breen’s death shocked and saddened the motorsport community, who had celebrated him as one of the best and most popular drivers of his generation. His funeral was held in his hometown of Slieverue, where he was buried next to co-driver Gareth Roberts.
Argumentative
Craig Breen was embroiled in controversy in 2018 when he was penalized for hitting a spinner during the Swedish Rally.
He was initially given a 10-second penalty, which was later increased to 22 seconds after protests from the Toyota team.
Social Media
- Instagram handle name: Not applicable
- Twitter name: Not applicable
Net value
According to various sources, Craig Breen has an estimated net worth of around $4 million.
He earned his wealth from his successful career as a race car driver as well as his endorsements and sponsorships.
He is sponsored by Hyundai, Michelin, Sparco, Bell Helmets and Red Bull.
Source: https://anhngunewlight.edu.vn
Category: Biography